I’m going to show you how to how to cook Japanese ginger pork! This Japanese shogayaki recipe of tender slices of pork coated in a delicious savory, sweet, ginger glaze doesn’t require any fancy ingredients and can be put together in about 15 minutes! So let’s get cookin’!
Watch how to make Japanese Ginger Pork
What is Japanese Ginger Pork?
Usually when you think of Japanese food, certain kinds of dishes come to mind, like sushi, tempura, and ramen. However, there is a whole ‘nother type of food that most people outside of Japan don’t really know about.
It’s the food that is made in the typical family home. Simple simmered vegetables and meat like nikujaga (Japanese simmered meat and potatoes) definitely comes to mind. Another simple family meal is Japanese Ginger Pork, or shogayaki.
Take thin slices of pork and cook them in a delicious sweet and savory glaze and you have a meal ready in about 15 minutes! There’s no wonder that this dish is enjoyed in homes across Japan: It’s simple, it’s delicious, and it’s quick!
Prepping the meat and ingredients for Japanese Ginger Pork
Let’s go ahead and make the base sauce for this dish. Mix together some soy sauce, sake or cooking wine, sugar, and grated ginger. You can, of course, use minced ginger as well, but make sure that you mince it finely or you may end up with some fiberous bits that may be unpleasant to eat. Mix everything together and let’s get started with our pork.
Today I’m using thinly sliced pork chops, which is traditionally what is used for this dish, but you can use sliced pork shoulder, sliced pork belly, or whatever cut you want.
Just make sure that it’s thinly sliced! I’m laying my pork flat and seasoning it with salt and pepper, then adding a bit of potato starch on top and rubbing it in.
My American sensibilities definitely got the best of me and I added a bit too much salt, so make sure you go light on it! Also, you can use cornstarch instead, but definitely don’t use flour. You want to make sure to go a bit lighter on this as well, or else you’ll get a gummy, slimy texture on your pork in the end. If you’re using sliced pork, you can go ahead and mix everything in a bowl, which will be way faster than doing it slice-by-slice like I am.
When you’re all done with the pork, slice half an onion into thin slices and you’re done with the prep!
Cooking the Japanese Ginger Pork
Now over on the stove, I’ve got a non-stick pan and I’m cooking my sliced onions with a bit of oil. These will cook until they turn slightly translucent and we’re going to take them off the heat.
Now, the pork goes in and we’re cooking it on one side first until it begins to brown slightly, then flipping it over and cooking the other side. If you’re using smaller slices of pork, you don’t have to have lay each piece flat like I am, but you also don’t want to have it sitting in a big pile. Spread them out so they all get a bit of browning.
Now add your onions back in and your ginger sauce. The starch will help the sauce to thicken and adhere to the meat. Cook it until the pork is thoroughly cooked through and coated in that delicious sauce.
Put the finishing touches on your Japanese Ginger Pork
Now plate everything up. I’m going to go ahead and serve mine with a bit of shredded cabbage and some cherry tomatoes. You can serve yours with some spring mix, roasted veggies, or whatever you’d like. And you can’t forget some toasted sesame seeds on top!
Japanese Ginger Pork Ingredient Checklist
For this dish, the important thing is the sauce. You may have to invest a little getting some of the different ingredients, but the good thing is that they can be used in so many other delicious recipes, like my tasty Gyudon Recipe!
- Thinly sliced pork
- Potato Starch (See it on Amazon) – Although you can substitute this with corn starch, I highly recommend getting potato starch to make my awesome crunchy Japanese chicken recipe!
- Onion
- Soy Sauce (See it on Amazon)
- Cooking Sake (See it on Amazon)
- Miriin (See it on Amazon)
- Sugar
- Grated ginger
Japanese Ginger Pork: A taste of Japanese home!
If you’ve got the ingredients, then take 15 minutes out of your day to put this together! You’re really going to enjoy this Japanese Ginger Pork and that first bite will transport you into a Japanese home!
Try more of my favorite Japanese dishes! These are so good and I know you’ll really enjoy them!
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Ginger Pork
Ingredients
- Thinly sliced pork 200g
- Potato or corn starch 2 tbsp
- Onion 1/2, thinly sliced
Ginger sauce
- Soy sauce 2 tbsp
- Sake 2 tbsp
- Mirin 1 tbsp
- Sugar 2 tsp
- Grated ginger 15g
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl add all the sauce ingredients and mix well. Set aside.
- Mix the starch with the pork and season with salt and pepper.
- In a pan, cook the onions over medium heat until slightly translucent. Remove from the pan.
- Over medium heat, add the pork to the pan and spread it out over the surface of the pan. Allow it to brown slightly slightly, then turn them over.
- Add the onions back into the pan, along with the (Ginger Sauce) and allow it to cook until the pork is completely cooked through. Serve with a side of thinly shredded cabbage or whatever vegetables you like.
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